Upright printing press



June 20; 1939. w. M. KELLY 2,162,725

UPRIGHT PRINTING PRESS I Filed Jan. 19, 1938 INVENTOR M/ILLl/IM M KELLY ATTOR Y Patented June 20, 1939 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFEC This invention relates to what are generally known as upright printing presses and particularly to presses of this type and kind employing a vertically movable bed on which the type .chase is clamped; and the object of .the invention is to provide means for so mounting the bed as to permit the swinging movement .of the bed from a vertical to a horizontal position to facilitate attachment and detachment of the type forms or the chase, as well as to perform all necessary operations that may be desirable in setting, clamping, planing, or otherwise preparing the forms while supported in said horizontal position; a further object being to provide a simple and effective means for securing or retaining the bed in its vertical position and in such manner as to permit quick movement thereof from a vertical to a horizontal position, and vice versa, whenever desired; a still further object being to provide a swinging bed for presses of the type and kind described wherein the structure and mounting of the bed and its associated parts are such .as not to. interfere with the various operative mechanisms of .the press in the vertical movement of the bed; and with these and other'objects in view, the invention consists in a press of the class and for the purpose specified which is simple in construction, efficient in use, and which is constructed as hereinafter described and claimed.

30 The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic side view of the bed of a vertical press indicating a method of actuating the same, indicating the position of the impression cylinder with respect thereto; and also indicating in dotted lines the horizontal position of the bed.

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 2--2 of Fig. 1; and,

Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing lllrepresents a vertical bed unit which is supported and guided in the press in any suitable manner. This unit consists of side racks I I, I la, in which the bed proper I 2 is pivoted on the pivot pins I3, I3a which enter the racks II, II a. The pins I3, I3a form the pivots permitting the swinging movement of .the bed I2 from a vertical position to the horizontal position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing, a suitable table or other support I4 being provided for the bed in its horizontal position. The bed is supported in its vertical or upright suitable for the intended purposes.

position by laterally movable key pins I5, I 5a which enter apertures I5, I 5a in the racks I I, 11a, The pins I5, I51; are supported in suitable bearings I'I', I8, IIa, I8a, on one surface of the bed I2; operating handles I9, I9a being provided on the pins I5, I50 so as to withdraw the pins from the apertures I6, I6a. to release the bed I2 whenever desired. The handles I9, I9a are secured to the pins and normally assume a position within the boundaries of the bed I2; but may be swung outwardly with respect thereto in moving the pins I5, I50, into inoperative position against the action of springs 20, 2011., which are arranged on the pins intermediate the handle members l9, I90. and the bearings l8, Illa. V

The bed I2 may be of any desired construction The usual clamps 2 I, will be provided for supporting the chase 22. upon the bed within and between the bed bearers 23. The racks I I, i Ia have teeth on both edges: thereof toengage, as is diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing, drive gears 24, and the gear or gears 25 of the impression cylinder 26.

.lThe impression cylinder 25 includes suitable grippers 21 for engaging the printed sheet which is fed onto the cylinder from a feed table 28 in any desired manner. In that my present invention relates primarily to the bed unit, no specific disclosure is made with regard to the printing mechanism employed as this forms no direct part of the present invention.

The gears 24 are mounted upon a shaft 25 on which shaft is a smaller gear 30 which may be driven by the drive mechanism diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, consisting of a reciprocating gear segment 3| pivoted as seen at 52, and to which is pivoted a drive link or rod 33 as seen at 34. The link 33 is also pivoted as seen at 35 to a drive gear 36 operated from a driven pinion 31; the latter being operated from a motor 38 by means of a suitable belt 39 engaging a pulley 45 on the motor shaft and a pulley M on the shaft 42 to which the gear 31 is secured.

With the particular drive mechanism diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 1, it will be apparent that the reciprocating motion of the gear segment 3| will cause the bed unit II? to be moved downwardly and upwardly in the press in each printing operation of the bed unit to print a worksheet held upon the cylinder 26 by the grippers 2'! as in other presses of this type. r

In presses of the type under consideration, considerable difficulty and inconvenience has been experienced in inserting and removing the forms as well as in preparing and treating the forms; and in fact in performing any operations that may be essential in the proper mounting and preparation of the type or plate forms. These difficulties and objections are overcome in providing the pivotal mounting of the bed to permit movement thereof into horizontal position. In this position, the bed becomes freely accessible for the insertion and removal of the form and for the performance of any operations, adjustments or the like, that may be necessary in the preparation thereof as will be apparent.

It will also be understood that with the construction employed, the means for supporting or retaining the bed in its normal or vertical position is maintained within the boundaries of the bed so as not to interfere in any way with the operation thereof. It will also appear that by swinging the bed into horizontal position in a di-' rection away from the printing mechanisms of the press, a very free accessibility is provided for the insertion and removal of the forms. Many other technical operations may also be readily performed without removing bed and associated parts from the clamped position when brought to the horizontal or reclining position. In this connection, it will also be understood that many forms are made of stereotype or electrotype plates having distinct type and means of mounting to permit of adjustment of the plates for register position. The horizontal arrangement of the bed will facilitate such adjustment.

It will be understood that while two rack surfaces are provided on the rails for two cylinder gears 25, only one of these gears is essential.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. In a vertical printing press, in combination, a bed unit member mounted for vertical reciprocating movement; a vertical bed member in said unit having chase supporting means on its vertical front face, means supporting the bed in the unit for swinging movement rearwardly from vertical to horizontal positions, manually operable means on one member cooperating with the other to lock the bed in vertical position, and means to reciprocate said unit.

2. The press according to claim 1 wherein the locking means comprises a slidable pin on one member spring pressed into a recess in the other member, and a manually operable device on the pin for retracting the same.

3. A printing press of the character described, including in combination, an impression cylinder mounted forrotation on a fixed axis, a bed unit mounted for vertical reciprocation, a bed in said 'unit having chase supporting means on its vertical surface facing said cylinder, means supporting the bed in the unit for swinging movement away from the cylinder side of the unit from vertical to horizontal positions, releasable means wholly within the unit for locking the bed in vertical position, and means to reciprocate the unit.

+1. In a printing pressof the character described, in combination, a vertical bed unit mounted for vertical reciprocating movement having a pair of oppositely facing racks'at one side thereof, an impression cylinder mounted for oscillation on a substantially fixed axis having 'a gear engaging one of said racks, a driving gear engaging the other rack to reciprocate said unit, a bed in said unit having a vertical printing surface cooperating with said cylinder mounted in said unit to swing from vertical to horizontal positions away from said cylinder, means wholly within the unit to releasably lock the bed in vertical position, and means to oscillate said driving gear.

5. In a printing press of the character described, including in combination, a vertical bed unit mounted for vertical reciprocation having a pair of oppositely facing racks at one side, an impression cylinder mounted for rotation on a substantially fixed axis having a gear meshing with one of said racks, driving means engaging the other rack to reciprocate said unit, and a tiltable bed in said unit having a vertical printing face cooperating with said cylinder, and releasable means for locking the bed in vertical position.

., WILLIAM M. IQELLY. 

